"'No you won't! I'll call for it anywhere you like to leave a hundred quid for me; but you must give me the rings off your fingers as security, to be returned when I get the money, on my word of honour.' "He was too frightened not to comply at once, and told me to take them to a certain house in a little street out of Harley Street, any time after ten o'clock the next Sunday evening. "I knew the house very well. It was kept by a great big bully, who had been a soldier, so, thinking perhaps there would be a little trouble in making him hand over the tin, I borrowed a small life-preserver from a friend by way of precaution, then went for a settlement. "The bully opened the door himself. "'Has Mr. Simeon Moses left a hundred pounds for me?' I asked. "'Your name's George Brown, I think. Step into the parlour, and I'll see you presently,' he growled. "Half-an-hour passed, and he still kept me waiting, so I gave a furious ring at the bell, which brought him in swearing at me for my damn'd impudence. "'Now, Bill Johnson--you see, I know your name, and what's more, I know the games you carry on here--no humbug!' (bringing out the life-preserver and striking the table so as to make a regular mark in the mahogany). 'Have you got the money or not? I shan't stop, and Mr. Moses may whistle for his rings if I don't get it now!' I said, speaking loudly. "'Damn it! yes. Only don't make a row. But he told me only to give you ten pounds and keep the rest!' "'Give me ninety and keep the ten. I don't mind a fair commission,' I replied, and so we settled it at once, and had a good laugh over the sodding fools, as I stood a bottle of fizz." After telling me the foregoing tale, he went on:-- "Did you ever hear that I was four years in the Reformatory at Red Hill? That was where I first had a prick up my arse." "No," I replied. "But do you mean to say such things can be done there?" "Yes," said George; "and if it had not been such a hell of a place I should have been a good scholar. Of course, the boys are supposed to go to school and work in the grounds. As for work, it was nearly all play; and none of us cared for the good-natured old schoolmaster, and so never learnt much. "As to the sleeping arrangements, I was in what they called a dormitory--it ought to have been called a back-door-mitory. There were over twenty of us boys and lads in the one large room. "As soon as we were locked in for the night, one of the biggest of them, observing me for the first time, says: 'Hullo! here's a greenhorn. We'll soon make a free-man of him!' "They crowded round me, just as I had almost got my clothes off ready to get into bed with another of about my own size (I was fifteen). "'What's your name?' 'How long are you sent for?' 'Have you ever had a cock up your arse?' etc., etc., was asked by one and the other of them, and they soon found out that in the latter respect I was quite innocent.